Rainwater trap



Feb. 11, 1936. P, PEARCE I 2,030,467 I RAINWA TER TRAP Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/G. 1. F76 2- INVENTOR HERBERT PLAISTOWE PEARCE- ATTORNEY.

Feb. 11, 1936. R PEARCE 2,030,467

RAINWATER TRAP Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l NVENTOR HERBERT PLAlS-TOWE PEARCE ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNI T E D" STATE-S PATENT (D P-Fl CE Application January 2, 1935; Serial No. 139 In- Great: Britain January-$1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to arainwatertrap' and has for its object the provision of an appliance for insertion in a rainwater stack pipe or similar. water course and having means whereby the downstream of water may be. diverted. at will from its normal coursev through the: stack pipe into an exteriorly positioned receptacle. or the like wherein clean rainwater can be collected. The appliance is adapted to be leftso asto-func- 10 tion: normally, that is, to allow rainwater'to' pass soiled rainwater carrying with it dirt from: the roofs and gutters has passed into the drain,- after which period,a matter of personal judgment- 1 the appliance may be set todivert clean rainwater into the receptacle provided.

The trap consists broadly of a chamber having an opening in one side face which is normally closed by a flap or slide to permit free down- 20 ward fall of the rainwater but adapted to be opened at will to divert the downstream through the side opening.

In preferred forms of the invention the flap is hinged substantially centrally and arranged so that normally one half or part hangs down adjacent the inner face of the chamber wall below the side opening and its other half or part closes the side opening and extends upwardly adjacent the outer face of the chamber wall above said opening, the flap being adapted to assume an inclined position in which that half or part which normally is lower becomes situated above the other half or part which extends outwardly and downwardly from the outer face of the chamber wall to direct the diverted downstream into an exteriorly positioned receptacle. The flap is retained in the closed or normal position by simple fastening means and released manually. Pref erably one part or half of the flap is made heavier than the other so that when the flap is freed from its fastening it is either set and maintained by gravity in the open position or else remains in the normal closed position until set and held in the open position by coupling the opened fiap to a fixed or heavier object, such as a bucket.

A specially constructed bucket may be used with the trap which is then provided with a lipped second opening below the main opening normally closed by the flap and with which co-operates a spout on the aforesaid bucket, so that the bucket when full returns surplus rainwater (entering the bucket from the upper opening) through its spout into the lipped opening back into the trap to prevent overflowing of the bucket.

Two embodiments of the invention are illusthrough without diversion, until such time as trated in the accompanying drawings whereiinz Figures 1 and 2 are a vertical sectionalielevaw tion and a front view respectively of a trap: having aflap: which; is set; and maintained open by gravity; and.

. Figures 3' and" 4 are similar views ofa modified form: in which the flap: is. normally maintained? closed by gravity and is held open by coupling theretov a. spouted bucket which returns-isurplus' rainwater to the: trap. In; the form illustrated in Figures I and 2 at square-section box-like. chamber. l' is provided having in its front wall an opening 2,. whichls normally closed by the upper half 3' of a. flapor slide.- 4 hingedly supportedabout the. middle. ofits" length by a pair of pivot pins, such as grub screws 5, carried by lugs 6 on the chamber I. The flap 4 is held closed by the engagement of a hook I on the chamber I with a recess 8 in the flap-half 3. This flap-half 3 is made heavier than the other flap-half 9, so that when the flap 3 is unfastened it falls by gravity to the open position as shown. To permit of disengagement of the hook I and recess 8 the lugs 6 have elongated slots I0 for the reception of the pivot screws 5 to allow free slidable movement of the flap 3. A pair of upstanding shields H are provided on the flap 3 to confine the discharging stream to the centre portion thereof and prevent it spilling over the side edges. A transverse apertured partition I2 is provided within the chamber l which serves to direct the whole of the downstream on to the opened flap 3 and may serve also to limit the inclination of the flap 3 when opened. Alternatively as shown, or additionally, the shields ll may be shaped so as to limit the inclination of the fiap 3. The flap 3 has a thumb piece I3 to facilitate the opening and closing thereof and the chamber I has fixing ears l4 and upper and lower tubular extensions I5, l6 respectively, for the reception of and reception within upper and lower rainwater pipes (not shown).

In the modified form shown in Figures 3 and 4, the flap-half 9 is heavier than the flap-half 4 so that even when the flap 3 is unfastened it remains closed, and needs to be set and held in the open position. This is conveniently effected by providing on the fiap 3 a small hook I! on which is hooked a. bail l8 provided on a specially designed bucket l9. This bucket l9 has a spout disposed at a suitable distance below the top edge of the bucket, the spout 20 being adapted to engage within the open mouth of a wedge-like forward extension 2| of the chamber I, so that instead of overflowing the rim of the bucket 20 55 surplus rainwater is returned to the interior of the chamber I. The provision of the overflow bucket 20 is of particular use if the bucket (which holds the flap 3 open) is allowed to remain in position either accidentally or intentionally such as during heavy rain. The disposition of the hook I! on the flap 3 is preferably arranged so that it is impossible to hook the handle of an ordinary bucket thereonto, thereby precluding the possibility of an ordinary bucket being left under the open flap and allowed to overflow.

It will be apparent that any suitable simple form of linkage or cable control may be provided to enable the flap 3 to be manipulated from the interior of a building so as to obviate attending to the trap during rain. It will also be readily understood that the trap could be situated within a building and even built into a wall so that the discharge from the trap would be effected in the interior of the building and the control of the trap undertaken in comfort and more conveniently.

I claim:

1. A rainwater trap comprising a hollow casing adapted to be inserted in the stack pipe and having upper and lower openings, 2. water diverting flap hinged adjacent the lower edge of the upper opening, an offset wall provided at the lower opening and forming an upwardly opening mouth -for receiving and supporting the overflow spout of a receptacle positioned to receive discharge from the hinged flap when the latter is tilted outwardly.

2. A rainwater trap comprising a casing adapted to be inserted in the stack pipe and having upper and lower side openings and an interior wall located above the upper opening and having a port, a water diverting trap hinged at its medial portion to the lower edge of the upper opening whereby it may be tilted outwardly to move into obstructing relation to said port and uncover the upper opening, and an inwardly directed lip provided at the lower opening and presenting an upwardly opening mouth thereby toreceive and support the overflow spout of a receptacle positioned to receive discharge from the outwardly tilted flap so that overflow from the receptacle is returned to the casing.

3. A rainwater trap comprising a casing having a side opening, vertically elongated bearings formed adjacent the lower edge of the opening, a water diverting flap having lateral pivot pins adapted to turn and slide in said bearing, said flap also having a keeper recess on its inner face, and a flap holding member on the casing above the opening adapted to fit in said recess when the flap is turned to vertical position to close the opening.

4. A rainwater trap comprising a casing having a side opening, vertically elongated bearings formed adjacent the lower edge of the opening, a water diverting flap having lateral pivot members adapted to turn and slide in said bearings, and cooperating elements respectively on the flap and on the casing above the opening for interengaging when the flap is turned to a vertical position and lifted in the bearings to maintain the flap in closing relation to the opening.

HERBERT PLAISTOWE PEARCE. 

